The Vision of Don Roderick Author:Walter Scott Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CONCLUSION. o shall command Estrella's mountain-tide Back to the source, when tempest-chafed, to hie ? Who, when Gascogne's vexed gulph is raging wide, Sha... more »ll hush it as a nurse her infant's cry ? His magic power let such vain boaster try, And when the torrent shall his voice obey, And Biscay's whirlwinds list his lullaby, Let him stand forth and bar mine eagles' way, And they shall heed his voice, and at his bidding stay. " Else, ne'er to stoop, till high on Lisbon's towers They close their wings, the symbol of our yoke, And th eir own sea hath whelm'd yon red-cross Powers!"— Thus, on the summit of Alverca's rock, To Marshal, Duke, and Peer, Gaul's Leader spoke. While downward on the land his legions press, Before them it was rich with vine and flock, And smiled like Eden in her summer dress;— Behind their wasteful march, a reeking wilderness. III. And shall the boastful Chief maintain his word, Though Heaven hath heard the waitings of the land, Though Lusitania whet her vengeful sword, Though Britons arm, and Wellington command !No! grim Busaco's iron ridge shall stand An adamantine barrier to his force ! And from its base shall wheel his shattered band, As from the unshaken rock the torrent hoarse Bears off its broken waves, and seeks a devious course. Yet not because Alcoba's mountain-hawk Hath on his best and bravest made her food, In numbers confident, yon Chief shall baulk His Lord's imperial thirst for spoil and blood : For full in view the promised conquest stood, And Lisbon's matrons, from their walls, might sum The myriads that had half the world subdued, And hear the distant thunders of the drum, That bids the band of France to storm and havoc come.V. Four moons have heard these thunders idly roli'd, Have ...« less